Why webinars rank in top 3 most effective content marketing tactics

62% of marketers are using webinars as a tactic to deliver B2B content marketing (up from 59% in 2012), according to a free research report by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs. Additionally, marketers rate webinars as the 3rd most effective tactic of all (tied with videos). It begs the question why more marketers are not using webinars – a topic for the next blog I believe (although one of my previous posts may shed some light here). For now, here’s my take on why webinars are so effective:

Immersion: Webinars are the most immersive content experience available. No other tactic offers attendees the experience of interacting with the content so thoroughly for 30-60 minutes. In addition to a variety of interactivity options, attendees can ask the presenter questions live and participate in the conversation with peers – even more easily than in an in-person environment. The interactive nature of this content consumption makes it very memorable and impactful.

Real-time content delivery: Additional related resources such as files or weblinks are easily provided to webinar attendees on the fly during the webinar or baked into the delivery in advance. This gives marketers the added benefit of delivering the planned content as well as offering further content to attendees in real-time to move them down the funnel more quickly. This content remains live during the recording as well, which gives future viewers the same access to the content that was delivered in real-time.

Behavior scoring: Like no other content marketing tactic available, webinars allow for in-depth and real-time behavior lead scoring. The rich and interactive experience of a webinar gives marketers a wealth of information about attendees that can be wrapped into a behavior or engagement score. See my previous blog for more information on this.

Cost-effectiveness: Webinars are cost-effective for both marketers and content consumers. They are less expensive than producing or attending a live event and offer a much wider reach due to their virtual nature. The recorded webinar content continues to exist for further consumption after the webinar, further increasing its cost-effectiveness.

Convenience: Webinars offer a convenient way to consume content presented by a live speaker. There is no travel and the content can be enjoyed from the convenience of the office or any location via mobile devices. Webinar recordings also add to the convenience of re-watching a segment or catching up on what may have been missed.

Shelby Britton, Group Product Marketing Manager @shelbynbritton
Shelby has been in high tech marketing since 2004. She is the author of The Content Marketer's Guide to Webinars. Previously she led the marketing departments for channel partners of IBM and Adobe. She has a MBA with a dual-focus in Marketing and Management from San Diego State University and a bachelor’s degree in Literature and Writing from the University of California San Diego, Revelle.